News in Sandbach

Sandbach residents face a 4.99 per cent increase in their council tax bills after Cheshire East published its budget proposals.

Council tax payers are set to be hit with the maximum rise that local authorities can make as the authority increases spending in the wake of Covid-19, which will amount to around an extra £1 a week on household bills.

Minister for Media and Data John Whittingdale has praised Nub News for showing there is still a demand for community-focussed local journalism.

The Maldon MP's endorsement follows the expansion of Nub News into 62 towns across the UK in recent months, including the launch of Maldon Nub News in August last year.

A series of allegations have been levelled against Sandbach Town councillor David Jack by fellow councillors.

They include accusations that Cllr Jack has mocked other town councillors' physical appearance, and "bullied" staff over email.

Police have warned Sandbach residents not to use e-scooters on public streets and roads in the town.

A post on the Sandbach Elworth and Rural Facebook page over the weekend said: "Trials for the rental of e-scooters are being held in a number of towns, but this does not include Sandbach.

More than 5,000 homes are set to be powered by solar energy, thanks to a proposed new solar farm in Warmingham.

Cheshire East planning officers have recommended that the scheme off Drury Lane, which would provide approximately 17 Megawatts (MWp) of electricity at its peak generation, be approved at Wednesday's (January 27) meeting of the borough's strategic planning board.

Cheshire East Council has lifted timing restrictions on travel for holders of concessionary bus passes.

The move is to help support the Covid-19 vaccine roll out for elderly people and disabled residents.

Vaccines have dominated the conversation on Cheshire's Covid-19 fightback this week.

And, following the release of NHS England data at a regional level for the first time, this edition of the Local Democracy Reporting Service's Weekend Feature will focus exactly on that topic.

Changes in maternity care across Cheshire are set to begin following the release of interim findings from the Ockenden report.

As part of that review, national NHS bosses have issued seven "immediate and essential actions" for all Trusts to implement by July 2021.

"Ten per cent" of Cheshire East residents have "already" had their first Covid-19 vaccination dose, according to council leader Sam Corcoran.

"The vaccine programme is going very well. Hopefully all over 80s will be vaccinated by the end of January — this is a challenging target but it looks likely to be met," the Labour leader said.

A deficit of £6.5 million is being faced by the NHS body responsible for Cheshire's Covid-19 vaccination programme.

NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group's (CCG) latest financial projections reveal that although all of its cost needs were met from March to September last year, higher expenditure in the organisation's hospital discharge programme in the autumn means it is facing a black hole of £6.461 million by the end of March.